No Honor in Darkness
by Flame Soldier
Summary: Ravess captures Harrier and keeps him as a prisoner. But when they find that they are inexplicably drawn towards each other, will Harrier be able to keep his honor in tact? Or does his honor really matter so much? Ravess/Harrier
1. Chapter 1

**No Honor in Darkness**

**A/N I don't own Storm Hawks. Yup, another Harrier fic. I've never actually seen a fanfic revolving around him though, so I decided to write one. **

Harrier opened his eyes slowly and groaned as his head began pounding. Where was he? How did he get here? Memories came rushing back to him. Terra Rex was being invaded by the Cyclonians! Wasn't he out there fighting them back a few moments ago? Why was he just sitting down? He tried to stand only to find that his arms were chained behind him to the wall.

"No," he hissed as a sudden realization hit him.

"That's right, ponytail boy. You're_ my _prisoner now." Harrier looked up to see golden eyes staring at him triumphantly.

His muscles bulged as he strained against the chains, trying to rip them from the wall, or to slip out of them, which ever came first. A sudden wave of dizziness and nausea hit his and he closed his eyes. He felt so weak... What had happened to him? Opening his eyes again, he looked down at himself. His armor had holes in it and blood was flowing freely from his body in three separate places. He recalled receiving those wounds while fighting the Cyclonians, but he didn't recall becoming their prisoner. The Rex Guardians had been winning, hadn't they? His eyes widened as another realization hit him. They quickly narrowed into a glare directed at the women whose gold eyes were staring at him from in front of the bars to his cell. "You hit me from behind! Have you no honor? You're nothing more than a coward!"

Ravess walked calmly to the door of his cell and entered. She knelt down in front of the Rex Guardian, making her eyes level with his. She wanted him to see the triumph in her eyes, to make him feel the bitterness of his defeat. "Honor? Look where honor has gotten you, Sky Knight." She smiled at him. "Honor, and your Code are a waste of time. Your honor got your pathetic terra taken over!"

"Terra Rex will escape your clutches," Harrier replied evenly. He refused to let his anger show. "It is written in the Code that those with honor shall always prevail!" He felt her slap before he actually saw it.

Her golden eyes glinted. "Terra Rex will be destroyed then. Where will your honor be then? You'll be nothing but a disgraced Sky Knight, who couldn't even protect his own terra! You'll be stripped of your armor and people will spit upon your memory." She drew closer to him, her eyes and smile still triumphant.

"It is your memory that people will spit upon, Honor-less Cyclonian! Terra Rex will never be destroyed! Not while my squadron and I still draw breath!" His blue eyes glared directly into her golden ones. His defiance clashed against her triumph.

"And who's to say that your squadron still draws breath?" Ravess replied.

The defiance in his eyes finally cracked a bit. "You... No! You didn't kill them! Honor _always_ prevails! There's no way a group of cowards like you could have defeated my squadron!" He glanced away from her eyes a moment. "Honor always prevails," he repeated softly to himself.

"We defeated you, didn't we? We defeated the great Harrier, Sky Knight of the Rex Guardians. if you couldn't defeat us, how could your squadron? Because they had honor? Is that it? Their honor blinded them! The very thing that you said would keep them alive is what caused their deaths!" Ravess drew even closer with a sneer on her lips. "It was my brother Snipe who killed the last of your squadron. It was that pathetic girl. She begged for my brother to spare her. She pleaded, she said she'd do anything for him to spare her life. _Anything,_" she repeated so that the Rex Guardian didn't miss what she had implied.

"Elizabeth," Harrier breathed. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to collect himself. He would never allow the enemy to see his tears. "No! You're lying!" he bellowed. "My squadron would never grovel before you Cyclonians! They would meet death with honor! Just as I would."

"You..." Ravess rested a hand on his armored chest. The other fiddled with the straps of his armor. "You will not die in honor. You will die in disgrace! You will beg for us to spare your pitiful life! Your honor will be stripped away and tossed aside like old newspaper!" She ripped his chest plate off and threw it with a clang into the corner of the cell, as if it was his honor.

"No one can take my honor away," the Rex Guardian breathed. His voice sounded weak, but it strengthened as he spoke. "Especially not an honor-less Cyclonian like you! Honor isn't something that can be thrown away like newspaper! It's a part of me! A part of me you'll never be able to understand! Part of me you'll never be able to touch!"

Ravess brought her hand back as if to slap him again, but instead rested it on his cheek. "Do you know why you still live, Sky Knight?" She pushed his head so he stared directly into her golden eyes. "You live because _I_ wish it. Because I want to watch you suffer and squirm. I hold your life in my hands. I can do with it anything I please. _Anything._" He could feel her breath on his face and he struggled with the chains again, wanting to push her away. He hated her with every fiber of his being. Hated her and wanted to see her dead by his hand.

Ravess laughed in his face, pleased to have finally gotten the reaction she wanted. Anger, hatred. It was all very fun to watch in a prisoner. "Hate me all you want, Harrier, but I'm the one who controls your life now. Not your honor, and not your pathetic code."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

Harrier shifted his shoulders uncomfortably. He had been in the cell for hours and the position his arms were chained in made his shoulders sore. The slight swaying he felt every now and again confirmed his suspicions that he was on a Cyclonian airship. His eyes were slightly damp from silently wept tears. His squadron- all dead. It couldn't be! Those with honor and good intentions at heart... They always prevailed!

Ravess was lying! She had to be! It was all part of some sick twisted game she was playing with him. She was trying to break him, that was it. Trying to dampen his spirit and send him into despair. Trying to break him down and build him back up into her own little plaything. Well, it wouldn't work. He would survive, with honor in tact. If not, he would die with honor. By his own hand, if necessary. He searched his mind for a passage of the Code.

_It is forbidden to kill oneself. The only exception to this is if one is put into a situation where dying is the _only_ solution to preserve one's honor. If one kills themselves unnecessarily, they will be considered shamed. _

Harrier considered this. If Ravess was to break him, his honor would be lost. And yet there could be another solution to his problem; he just had to figure that out. Somehow, he would need to escape, but being chained to the wall made this feat nearly impossible. Even if he did escape his cell, he would need to fight through countless guards. While his Sky-Fu was nearly flawless, he had to admit that he might not be able to do it. Especially with his injuries. If he did managed to defeat the guards, then what? How could he escape the Cyclonian airship? He couldn't just leap off into the wastelands. Could he take a skimmer?

_Stealing, no matter how desperate one is, is completely forbidden. _

Harrier frowned. Sometimes, he had to admit, the Code made life considerably more difficult. He tried to think but music in the distance made it hard to concentrate. "What is that blasted racket?"

Ravess stopped in front of his cell. "Do you like it? I've written this song just for you." She began playing a slow dismal sounding song on her violin. It was written in a minor key and voiced fear and despair.

Harrier glared at her. "Must you practice that accursed thing here?"

"Yes," Ravess replied. "I do. And do you know why? Because I _feel _like it!" She looked directly into his eyes. "Does that make you mad, Sky Knight? Does that anger you? Do you want to hurt me?"

He looked away for a split second, then replied evenly. "No... For there is nothing written in the Code against practicing music."

She rolled her eyes. "Tell me, Sky Knight. Do you really live your life only by your pathetic Code? Haven't you ever wanted to do something... Wrong?" She leaned towards the bars of his cell and smiled at him.

"The Code is my life," Harrier replied. "The day I break the Code is the day I lose my honor, and the day I die."

Ravess laughed. "You amuse me. You don't know how wrong you are. You'll break the Code, and you'll live. You'll do so because I say so."

"No," Harrier hissed. "There's nothing you can do to make me forfeit my honor. Nothing! I would die first!"

Her golden eyes glittered and she smiled at him. "We'll see about that... You see, I've brought some friends with me..." Two Cyclonians appeared behind her each holding different crystals. "Tell me, Harrier. Have you ever been shot with a Lightning Stone? It's quite painful, I assure you."

"It'll take more than torture to break me," The Rex Guardian said, keeping the fear he felt out of his expression.

Ravess didn't miss the shadow of it in his eyes however. "We'll see, Sky Knight... We'll see..."

* * *

Ravess did not enjoy seeing the Sky Knight tortured. At first she thought it was because he refused to scream. A groan escaped him every so often, but every time it looked like he was going to crack he repeated, "Pain is a sacrifice a Sky Knight must make."

No, upon further reflection she realized that she actually _respected_ Harrier. She frowned and considered this. It wasn't because he was a Sky Knight; she considered those a nuisance, no more. It was because he had standards that he actually lived up to. All the other Sky Knights she had met would prattle on about protecting the innocent of Atmos, but with him, it was more than that. Other Sky Knights would do what ever they could to win, but he would do nothing dishonorable.

"And I respect the fool for that?" Ravess muttered to herself. "Why should I respect him at all? He's just another one of those pathetic Sky Knights... I must be growing soft..."

She watched the Talons touch the Sky Knight with the stone again and watched a spasm of pain writhe across his bare chest. The lightning stone had cauterized his wounds leaving reddish scars behind. He squeezed his eyes shut and muttered the phrase from the Code again before glaring over at Ravess.

His lightning blue eyes held nothing but defiance and contempt, he glare sent as small shock wave down Ravess's spine, and she looked away uncomfortably. She immediately scolded herself for showing weakness.

She sighed and rubbed the bridge of her nose with her fingers. "I think that's enough for today."

The two Talons looked over at her in surprise. "But ma'am! It hasn't even been an hour yet..."

She glared at them. "Don't question my orders! Just do as I say!"

"Yes, ma'am..." They scrambled to do her bidding, but Ravess didn't watch. Instead she walked towards her chambers, wondering when she turned so soft.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

Harrier let out a groan as he sat up. His wrists were raw and bleeding from the chains chaffing them. He couldn't move more than a few inches from the back wall of the cell, making it impossible to get into a position that didn't make him sore. There was no way to be certain, due to the lack of windows in his cell, but it seemed that he had been three days since his torturing. Time just ran together as he sat there, bored. After a really long stretch of time, a pair of Talons would unchain him so he could eat, or relieve himself in a bucket. It was disgraceful, the way they stood there and watched. Did they really think that he could escape using a bucket?

Ravess often walked by his cell and stood outside it, just staring. She never said anything however, and Harrier wasn't about to start up a conversation. Her frequent presence was beginning to annoy him, but he refused to show it. His irritation would give her too much satisfaction.

She was in front of his cell again, and he turned away from her as much as possible. He glared at the wall and waited for her to gawk at him some more before leaving. However, this time she spoke. "Do those chains make you uncomfortable, Sky Knight?"

Harrier glanced sharply at her. "No, I should have started sitting like this _years_ ago!"

Ravess looked faintly amused. "Well, that's good. You'll be sitting there like that a long time."

He turned fully and glared at her. "Why? Why don't you just kill me?"

"Why?" She motioned to a Cyclonian who opened up the door to his cell. She strode toward him and knelt down in front of him to get eye-level with him. She always liked to get in her prisoner's face. It seemed to make them break down faster. "Maybe it's because I don't want you dead, Harrier," she said softly. "Maybe it's because I know it'll hurt you more to stay alive." She placed a hand on his bare chest and leaned towards him, putting her lips next to his ear. "I will see you broken, Harrier. You'll be like putty in my hands, ready to be made into anything I wish."

Her closeness bothered him, and Harrier's muscles bulged as he once again tried to push her away. The chains rubbed off more of his skin, increasing the bleeding around his wrists.

"And what is it that you wish?" he asked, voice harsh. he refused to look at her. "What do you plan on doing with me?"

Ravess didn't answer. Instead, she squeezed his upper arm. "You have quite a lot of muscle... It'll be a shame to see it all waste away..."

Harrier's blue eyes sharpened. "Get off of me," he hissed.

"You're in no position to be making demands, Sky Knight..." To demonstrate her point, she moved even closer to Harrier, pressing her body against his, putting her face close to his so he couldn't look away. Her golden eyes glared into his blue ones and she waited for him to flinch, to avert his gaze, to show some sign of submission.

She was disappointed however. He just glared straight back, his defiance almost a tangible substance in the air. "I wonder... How defiant will you be without food for a couple of days?"

"With the food you're giving me now? I think it would be an improvement, really." His eyes narrowed. "You won't break me, Cyclonian. I'd die before that happened."

Her eyes narrowed as well. They glared at each other for a few moments before Ravess broke the silence. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you insist on clinging to your pathetic honor?"

"Because, it's something that you don't have! It's what makes me different from you! And it's something you'll never understand!" The intensity of the fire in Harrier's eyes made her flinch from his gaze and she scolded herself for showing weakness.

She put her other hand on his chest and shoved him against the cell wall. "You think your honor makes you strong! Well, you're wrong! It makes you weak! You say I have no honor, but look who's the prisoner here! It's you! You say those with honor will always prevail, but I don't see you winning here, Sky Knight!" Her anger was mounting. Why wouldn't this stupid man break?

Harrier laughed. "You're wrong, Cyclonian. I am winning. Look who's the flustered one. Is it you who's breaking me?" He smiled. "Or is it the other way around?"

Ravess raised her hand to slap him, but she realized that that was the reaction the Rex Guardian wanted to see. Instead, she forced herself to smile. "Oh, you're good, Harrier, I'll give you that." She slid off him. "But just how good are you?" She left the cell. "In time we'll see."

* * *

"That stuck-up, pretentious, bastard!" Ravess screeched. She threw a clay pot against the wall of her room, sending shatters of pottery everywhere. How had he done that? How had he turned everything around on her? _She_ was supposed to be in control, not _him_!

She sat on her bed and made herself take a calming breath. A small part admired Harrier for out smarting her. By manipulating her into being angry he had very cleverly won a battle. A small one.

"A challenge," Ravess mused. "Perhaps a challenge would be good for me." She laid back and sighed. She could just have him tortured. Every other prisoner was tortured at least once a day. But for some reason, she didn't want the Rex Guardian tortured. She tried to reason that she wanted to be the sole person to break him, that it would be more satisfying that way, but she caught herself thinking something completely different.

_It would be a shame to ruin those good looks with torture..._


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

Harrier looked up as two Cyclonians entered his cell. "Great... What now?" One bent down and unchained him.

"Get up," he said gruffly. "Ravess says you need a shower and a shave."

The Rex Guardian blinked. "What?" He got to his feet after being prodded by a crystal topped staff. "This is insane... A shower?"

"Just get moving," the other Cyclonian barked, shoving something into Harrier's hands. It was a package containing soap, shampoo, and a crystal powered razor. He read the label of the bottle. "Cotton Candy Bubblegum splash... How manly..."

"Lemme guess," one of them sneered. "Girly shampoo is against your precious code."

"Uh, no... The Code neglects to mention haircare products..." Harrier replied, being prodded forward. He really couldn't understand this Ravess woman. First she tortured and tried to break him, and now she was going to let him shower. Was having to smell like a girl some sinister way to get him to break down? He was still pondering this as he was pushed into a bathroom.

"Twenty minutes." He heard the door being locked behind him.

The first thing Harrier did was look for something to help him escape. There was only a sink, a mirror, a toilet, and a shower. He did manage to find some bandages, however. He could now nurse his bleeding wrists after he washed the dried blood off.

Undressing, he stepped into the shower. The water was warm and soothed his stiff aching muscles. Slipping the hair band off his ponytail, he began to lather the sickly sweet smelling shampoo into his hair. "Perhaps this is torture after all."

After his shower he wrapped a towel around himself and made a lather out of the soap- which smelled of strawberries- and began to shave the stubble off of his face. His thoughts began to turn to escape again. What could he do? Overpower the guards that took him back to his cell? There were two off them, and more would be near, so that would be unlikely to work. In his cell, he was chained to the wall. He would have to get those chains off somehow... Was it possible?

Washing the lather off his face, he sighed and stared his reflection in the mirror. His once sharp blue eyes were beginning to look worn and tired. Maybe he should just give up. Maybe he would never escape. "Those with honor always prevail... Isn't that true?" He shook his head and turned to get his clothes. They were gone; a cyclonian jumpsuit in their place. Sighing, he put it on.

Grabbing the bandages, he began to wrap up his wrists. At least the chains would stop chaffing him. He frowned and considered this. The chains had been loose enough to rub against his skin. Given the right conditions could they slip off his wrists?

An idea formulating, Harrier unwrapped his left wrist. Grabbing the razor, he shaved off a slice of soap. He placed the sliver against his wrists and rewrapped the bandage around it. He resisted the urge to smile as the Cyclonians entered to take him back to his cell. Perhaps honor would prevail after all.

* * *

Ravess stared at herself in the mirror. What was wrong with her? Why was she feeling compassionate towards that arrogant sky knight? She reasoned that on some level there was a physical attraction; he was rather handsome after all. But she had broken down men more handsome than Harrier without letting it bother her.

"Foolish sky knight... Always going on about his honor. Says I can't understand it. Oh, I understand! He's nothing more than a fool!" Her eyes narrowed. "Honor is a waste of time. The only thing that matters is perfection." Sighing, she picked up her violin and began practicing her theme song, trying to keep her mind off of Harrier. She frowned as she played a wrong note. It was no good, she just couldn't focus on her playing today. Scowling, she set her violin down. "When I finally break him down and make him mine, I'll be able to get him out of my mind..."

Ravess made her way down to the prison holds. She smiled as every prisoner she passed glanced away from her submissively. Her smile faded as she reached Harrier who gazed defiantly back at her.

"Did you enjoy your shower, Sky Knight?"

"I must admit, it was rather refreshing," he replied. "Even if my hair does smell disgusting now."

"Disgusting? But I let you use my favorite shampoo..." Ravess smiled as she entered his cell. She picked up a piece of his blond hair which hung limply down to his shoulders; he hadn't put it back into his ponytail. She breathed in its sweet scent. "Well, I think you smell delicious." She waved a hand towards the guards. "Leave us."

"But ma'am... It's not safe! He's a dangerous prisoner."

"Oh please, he's chained to a wall. Do you honestly think he could hurt me?"

"But..."

Her eyes sharpened. "You dare question orders?"

"No! Of-of course not!"

"Then leave!" She watched the guards scurry away before turning towards Harrier again. She knelt down to look him in the eyes. "You know Harrier... You're stay here doesn't have to be unpleasant... I can be nice, as you saw today... As long as you're nice back..."

Harrier's eyes narrowed. Was that what she was doing? Trying to gain his trust, or cooperation? He shifted around a bit, slipping the soap from its hiding spot and beginning to lubricate his wrists with it. He needed to keep her talking. "May I ask you a question, Cyclonian?"

Ravess blinked in surprise. "What is it?"

"Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why do you work for an evil empire like Cyclonia?"

"It's something you wouldn't understand, Sky Knight... Power.I crave power; it's something only Cyclonia can give me. You'd never understand the need for power; all you need is your pathetic honor."

"So you crave power and don't care how many people you hurt to get it?" Harrier's eyes narrowed into dangerous looking slits.

"Ooooh, so maybe you do understand. Power and perfection, those are the only two things I crave," Ravess said.

"But without standards, how can you be sure that you're doing things perfectly?"

She rolled her eyes. "I never said I didn't have standards. I just don't go by ridiculous things like honor. I have my own way of looking at things. But enough talking about me. How are you feeling? Desperate? Ready to do anything to get a life outside the cell?"

So that was it, Harrier realized. She wanted him to get a taste of normal comforts so he would crave more. He didn't even want to think about what she would want him to do to get another shower. "No," he lied. "I'm quite fine, thank you."

Ravess held back a sigh. Her normal mind tricks wouldn't work on this man. She tried to think of the last thing that got a reaction from him. "So... That girl in your squadron... Elizabeth was it?"

Harrier's eyes hardened. "What about her?"

"I lied to you before... She's still alive." She smiled at the look of relief that flashed through his eyes. "Snipe decided to take her up on her offer. He enjoys her company. Apparently he has some fun with her everyday... Tell me... Is that against the code?"

"You're lying!" Harrier shouted. "She would never disgrace herself like that!"

"I don't know why he keeps her, honestly. Ugly little wench. If I were-"

"SHUT UP!" Harrier exploded forward and seized Ravess. Her eyes widened in shock. How could he escape her chains. She opened her mouth to scream for help, but she found that she only had enough air to talk in a hoarse whisper. "You're lying," he hissed.

"Yes," she admitted fearfully, speaking the truth without thinking. "She... And your squadron escaped..." She regained soem composure. "But you won't."

"You might want to rethink that. Right now, I could snap you like a twig." Harrier squeezed her harder. "You know that I'm strong enough."

A single glance at his bulging muscles is all that it took for Ravess to know he spoke the truth. "Go ahead... Do it. If you dom it means that I've won. You would have killed an unarmed woman. You would have forsaken your code!"

He stared down at her. "No... You... You're wrong!"

"So what are you going to do? Kill me and try to escape? Or are you going to follow the Code?"

"I could do it... It would be so easy..." He increased the pressure and her eyes widened. Did she misjudge his character, did she make a fatal mistake?

"Would you?" She gasped. "Would you kill a harmless woman like me?" Ravess tilted her head up so golden eyes met blue. In that moment, she saw his resolve crack. All the hopelessness, all the despair he had hidden from her came pouring out, widening the crack until his resolve eroded away altogether.

Harrier released Ravess from his grasp and turned his head away to face the wall. Breathing heavily, she tilted his head towards him again and smiled as he wept.

She had won.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

**A/N Thank you for reading this... **

Ravess laughed. "Look at you now, Sky Knight! Weeping pitifully! Where is your Code? Where is your honor?"

Harrier looked over at her. "You've gotten what you wanted... Why don't you just leave me be?" He forced the tears to stop. "You've proven that I can't kill you... That'll I'll never be able to escape this prison!"

"Who says that I've gotten what I wanted?" Ravess asked, crawling over to him. She put two fingers on his cheek and pushed his head so his eyes met hers. "You know, Sky Knight. I have a feeling that we could both benefit from you being here..."

He jerked his head away. "No... I'd never do something like that."

She smiled at him. "Who said anything about you doing something? You seem to be the one thinking dirty thoughts here, Harrier."

"You infuriate me, Ravess."

Her grin widened. "The feeling goes both way, I assure you." She stared at him for a few moments. "I could just force you, you know."

Harrier stared at her. "Would you?"

She considered the question before shaking her head. "No... It wouldn't be as fun that way..." she placed a hand on his chest and tried to shake the feeling that came over her. What was it? Lust? Well, she decided. It was just another element to add to their little game. "Tell me... How does it feel, knowing that you'll never escape from here?"

He tried to glare at her, but he had to keep blinking away the tears that shimmered in his blue eyes. Ravess couldn't help but feel sorry for him, but she persisted. "Are you afraid?"

"No," Harrier replied. He wasn't afraid, just hopeless with despair. "The Code has taught me that fear is just another obstacle to overcome."

"Why do you trust the Code so much?"

Harrier stared at her, surprised that there was no sound of mocking in her tone. "I trust the Code, because it's everything a Sky Knight stands for. Honor, courage, honesty, love... A Sky Knight must have all these traits. I became a Sky Knight to protect my home of Terra Rex. How can I protect it if I'm as bad as the ones trying to attack?"

"Not doing much protecting now, are you?"

"Well, as long as you're down here talking to me, you're not out there hurting anyone, are you?"

Her eyes narrowed slightly. "You're a goody-goody, you know that?"

He shrugged. "It's part of my charm."

"I would say your well-toned muscles are the reason for your charm," Ravess retorted, squeezing his upper arm. "I'm sure that's what your fan girls would say." She smirked. "I bet your entire terra was devastated by your capture... I bet I could gain a lot by ransoming you back... I know your terra has a past of dealing with Cyclonians..."

Harrier's eyes narrowed as she reminded him of the deal he had made with the Dark Ace. "Terra Rex has since learned that Cyclonians can't be trusted. You're dishonorable and don't keep your word."

"But why should we keep our word?" she asked. "It would make the game boring."

"Is this all the war is to you, Ravess? A game?"

"In a way," she admitted. "It's a game where I will come up on top."

"No... It's a game where everyone loses except Master Cyclonis," Harrier said. "I supposed she's made some promises to you. How can you be so sure that she'll keep her word?"

Ravess frowned at him. "Because if she didn't keep her word then her servants would turn against her."

"Unless they were too afraid."

She forced herself not to scowl. He had pretty much hit the nail on the head. Her mind involuntarily flashed back to when Master Cyclonis had pinned Repton to the wall with a crystal. She imagined herself there, in his place, slowly having the life squeezed out of her. She wondered, would Snipe try to stop her? Would he even care that his sister was being killed? Would he be too afraid to act? A flicker of fear flashed through her eyes at the thought.

"So that's why you serve her," Harrier remarked, seeing the fear in her eyes. It vanished so quickly though that he was left wondering if he really saw it at all. "You fear her."

"So what if I do?" Ravess snapped. "That doesn't matter! Your predicament doesn't change at all, does it?"

"No," he replied. "It doesn't..." He tipped his head to the side and regarded her with his blue eyes. "Ravess... If you were to leave the services of Cyclonis, you would be able to find safety in the Atmos. On Terra Rex even."

She laughed. "You want me to betray Cyclonia? You don't understand, Harrier. Even if I fear Master Cyclonis- and I do, rightly so- that's not the only reason I serve her. Before I entered the services of Cyclonia, I was a nobody... and now... My name is known across the Atmost! It is spoken with fear all around the world! I was given a terra to rule over! Why would I give that up? You said yourself that fear is just another obstacle to overcome."

Harrier didn't have a reply to that. He had known that there wasn't even a slim chance that she'd just leave Cyclonia, but he had to try...

It was her turn to tip her head to the side and regard Harrier with her golden eyes. "Why don't you join Cyclonia? A man like you would go far in the ranks of the Talons... One day you might even be ranked as high as I am... And of course Terra Rex would be safe from harm."

He stared at her. There they were again, dangling the safety of his terra in front of him like a carrot in front of a donkey. Somehow they knew it was his weakness. They knew that Terra Rex itself was probably the one thing that could get him to disobey the code. "Terra Rex... It would be safe?"

"I give you my word," was her reply.

He stared at her, sorely tempted. If he joined her, not only would he be free, but his terra would be safe. His friends and family... Cyclonia wouldn't harm them. His mind flashed back to all the times he ha fought the Cyclonians. Dark Ace had completely destroyed his squadron in less than a minute. When he had lead the invasion force to Cyclonia, Harrier remembered the Dark Ace taking them all out with a single swipe of his sword. He remembered falling towards the Wastelands, his parachute slowing his descent as the lava came closer and closer...

A flicker of fear passed through his eyes. He knew that his squadron wasn't a match for the Cyclonians. They were just to powerful. He would do it, He would join Ravess to save them. He opened his mouth to speak, but then closed it again. No... He couldn't do that. He couldn't betray everything they believed in. It just wouldn't be right... It wouldn't be honorable. "I will never join you," he replied. "Even... Even if that means remaining your prisoner for the rest of my life."

Ravess smiled at him. She had seen how close she was to getting him to join her. "We shall, see," she whispered, leaning closer to him. "We'll see..."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six  
**

**A/N Thanks for the reviews!**

There she was, close to him again. Harrier shuddered slightly as her warm breath brushed against his face. There was just something about her... He shook his head, frowning. What was wrong with him? She was the enemy! He couldn't stop hating her. The day he stopped hating her would be the day she won... Maybe she already had...

"Why are you always so close to me?" Harrier asked.

"Does it bother you?" Ravess questioned, pushing even closer.

"Should it?"

"You didn't answer my question."

"That's because I don't know the answer."

Ravess raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Oh really?" She pressed herself against Harrier. "What about now?" she whispered.

Harrier stared into her golden eyes, almost getting lost in their depths. What was it about her? She was a beautiful woman, but... He shook his head. This was wrong! They were enemies! He was a sky knight and she was a Cyclonian! "I... I hate you."

"Really? You don't sound very convincing," she replied. "Are you sure?"

He shuddered slightly as her hands caressed his chest. "Y-yes... I'm sure." He forced some resolve in his voice. "I hate you."

"Why?" Ravess asked. "Is it written in your Code?"

"No..." Harrier glanced away from her. "But I... If I stop hating you, it will mean that you won. Isn't that what this is? Some kind of game?"

"Who says we both can't be winners?" she asked.

"This is wrong..."

"Haven't you ever wanted to do anything wrong before?" she whispered, tilting her head to the side.

"N... I..." Harrier was at a loss for words. Everything about this just seemed so wrong... But at the same time...

"Ravess, I can't find the mustard."

Ravess looked over to the front of the cell to see Snipe standing there. "Can't you see that I'm busy, brother?"

"No... You were just lying there so I figured you could show me where it is." Snipe crossed his arms.

She glared daggers at her brother, but pushed herself away from Harrier. Getting up, she left the cell and walked away, her brother following.

Harrier pulled his knees to his chest, frowning deeply. "What am I doing? What's wrong with me?" Closing his eyes he ran through the code in his head. He would let the Code guide his actions... He opened his eyes again and sighed. Out of one and a half thousand pages of code, there was nothing that could guide him through this situation. How could he handle this? All his life he had just done what the code had told him, but now... It looks like he was on his own.

* * *

Ravess rummaged around through the pantry, searching for the mustard. Of all the times for her brother to need mustard... Pulling out a yellow bottle, she shoved it towards her brother. "Here! Have your mustard!"

"Thanks... You seem mad at me..." Snipe lifted the top off his sandwich and squirted the mustard on.

"Oh, do I?" She rolled her eyes. "I wonder why."

"You mean you don't know?" He frowned. "What, do you have amnasie or something?"

"First of all it's called amnesia. Second of all, that was a rhetorical question! Of all the times for you to need mustard!"

"You know how I can't have ham sandwiches without mustard..." Snipe blinked. "What were you doing anyways? With that guy..."

Ravess sighed. "I... I'm not actually sure. He's the enemy, but..."

"You gonna smush him?" he asked. "I can help if you want..."

"No! I am not going to 'smush' him!"

"Why not?" Snipe asked, a bit disappointed.

She looked away from her brother. "I don't know... There's just something about him..."

He suddenly looked concerned. "You... You're not going to ask me for dating advice, are you?" he asked, taking a step away. "I hate mushy stuff!"

"As if I would ask you for advice on anything," Ravess retorted.

"Well, I am your older brother," he pointed out. "I have loads of great advice!"

"Great advice on how to stuff your face!" she snapped. Her eyes narrowed. "I don't need any advice anyways... I... I know exactly what I'm doing."

"I thought you just said that you didn't."

"Oh, shut up!" She stormed away from him back towards her quarters.

Snipe watched Ravess leave and shook his head before taking a bite of his sandwich. "Women..."

Ravess plopped herself down on her bed and sighed. Her being attracted to Harrier... It just didn't make sense. Being in the Cyclonian army left her little time for men. Not to say that she had never been in bed before, but she had never really felt lust like this before. It bothered her; it wasn't something she could control. She hated things that she couldn't control...

"I'll just have to control him then..."


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

Harrier had given up trying to sort through the Ravess situation and had moved on to doing push-ups. He needed something to stave off the boredom, and besides he would need to keep his strength up so he could go back to being a sky knight if he were to escape. No, he chided himself. Not if, when. If he kept thinking that he wouldn't be able to get out, then he wouldn't... But then again, what could he really do to escape?

Deciding that push-ups weren't challenging enough, he moved on to one armed push-ups. Harrier glanced up as he felt eyes watching him. "Miss Ravess," he acknowledged.

"Miss? How proper of you," Ravess said, rolling her eyes. She stood in silence for a few moments and watched Harrier.

He glanced up at her again. "Any reason why you're standing there?"

"I don't think I need a reason to stand in my own ship," Ravess taunted.

"Very well then." He continued to do push-ups, but found his eyes continually trailing their way up to meet Ravess's gaze. Eventually he gave up trying to ignore her and sat back. He stared at her a few moments, thinking. He found it was a lot easier to think when she wasn't mere centimeters away from him. "You didn't have them chain me back up."

"No... Should I have?" She stared him at the moment. "Can I trust you Harrier?"

"You're asking if you can trust an enemy?" Harrier asked.

"No, I'm asking if I can trust you, Harrier."

"You can always trust one who follows the Code," was his reply.

"Mmm... Really now?" Ravess stared at him, saying nothing more.

He stared at her, waiting for her to say more. When she did not, he opened his mouth to speak again. "Why do you want to trust me?"

"Do I really need a reason?" she asked.

"Well... Normally no, but you're a Cyclonian," Harrier replied.

"Why does the terra I come from matter?"

"Cyclonians are untrustworthy," he said. "I learned this the hard way."

"Do I look like Dark Ace to you?" Ravess asked.

"No..."

"You know nothing about me, Harrier. Don't presume too much." She leaned towards the bars of the cage. Noticing him staring, she arched an eyebrow.

Harrier blushed slightly as he snapped his eyes up from her chest. "You're right... Perhaps I should learn more about you, Ravess... But you know, you don't know much about me either."

"So maybe we both need to learn more about each other," Ravess suggested, her eyes sparkling.

_Those damned sparkly eyes... What do they mean? _He nodded. "Yeah... I guess so."

"So tell me... What inside you makes you tick?"

"Um... A heart?"

She raised an eyebrow. "I think you miss my point. What was the reason you became a sky knight?"

"I became a sky knight to serve the Atmos, protect the weak, and to protect Terra Rex." Harrier's eyes glinted with determination.

"Oh how noble of you," Ravess replied. "But that can't be your only reason... You have to have a more selfish reason..."

He glanced away. "Well... I... No... No other reason."

"You're a terrible liar," she replied softly. "So you do have another reason... Well, what is it?" She smiled at him. "Come on, what have you got to hide?"

Harrier sighed. "Well, I guess it was... I've always wanted to be better than _them_."

"Them being?"

"My peers," he replied. "They always called me stuck-up and conceited..."

"Hmm... I wonder why," she replied sarcastically.

"What about you Ravess? What made you join the Cyclonians? It couldn't have been all for power..."

"Oh, it couldn't? You're probably the most naive sky knight I've ever met."

Harrier stared at her a moment. "I bet I'm the most handsome too, right?"

A predatory grin spread across her face. "You're handsome, Harrier, I'll give you that." She slipped into his cell and tossed the keys to the Cyclonian outside the door, who caught them clumsily. Kneeling down in front of Harrier, she leaned towards him, eyes sparkling once again. "Now tell me... What do you think about me?"

"Well... I ... Uh..." Harrier flushed as his eyes trailed down her body once again. He snapped his eyes up to her face. "Well.. I... Um..." He cleared his throat. "I guess I'd have to say that... That you're a beautiful woman, Ravess..."

She leaned closer to him. "I thought so. You know... I have a proposition for you, Harrier... How would you like to get out of your cell for the night?"

"I-I-I," he stuttered. "N-" Before he could refuse, her lips were suddenly on his. They were like honey, and before he knew what he was doing, he was pressing his lips back against hers almost hungrily. His hands were around her waist, pulling her closer, when they gradually began to move higher...

Suddenly, he realized what he was doing, and pushed her away. "No... What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong with you, Harrier," Ravess replied, smiling at him. "You're just being a man... Come on, what's wrong with having a little fun?"

"I'm... I'm a sky knight... Sky knights don't have fun..." Harrier swallowed nervously. In truth, he had never really had time for women. Sure, he would perhaps look at an attractive one when she walked by, (what man wouldn't) but he had never gotten into a relationship with one... Not since highschool...

He stared into Ravess's eyes as she placed her hands on his chest. "Then maybe it's time for a career change."


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

**A/N Just warning you that from here on in it gets to be a bit more T-rated (You could probably guess that from the last chapter...)  
**

When he walked into the prison hold, his eyes widened in shock. Ravess's legs were wrapped around the sky knight's torso, and her tongue was probably halfway down his throat. The sky knight's hands were on her waist and it looked as if he didn't know whether to push her away or pull her even closer.

The Cyclonian that had arrived cleared his throat awkwardly. He waited until his commander pulled back from the prisoner and turned to glare at him before speaking. "Er... We're under attack, ma'am. Commander Snipe's squadron has already been deployed."

"Well who's attacking?" She asked impatiently.

"It seems to be the Screaming Queens and the Rebel Ducks."

"Very well. Ready my squadron."

"You're squadron is assembled and awaiting your arrival."

Ravess nodded. "I'll be there in a moment." She glanced back at Harrier. "I'll see you tonight."

* * *

Harrier's eyes remained glued onto Ravess until she was out of sight. He blinked, not comprehending what had just happened. He remembered her saying that he should have a career change and then... His insides tingled with excitement as he thought about it. Excitement that he really couldn't understand. Laying back, he sighed. What was even going on? He had no clue. "Tonight... Tonight? Wait..." He sat up again. "Does that mean she wants to..."

Harrier frowned, looking distraught. "I... I can't... I couldn't possibly... The Code..." But then again, was the Code really all that important? His eyes widened at the thought how could he possibly have thought that?

_The Code is my life. The day I break the Code is the day I lose my honor, and the day I die. _He had said that to Ravess and he had meant it. He still did mean it. There wasn't anything in the Code strictly against this, and yet he felt so guilty.

Her voice ran through his mind._ "Haven't you ever wanted to do anything wrong before?"  
_

"How did this happen?" he wondered aloud. He tilted his head up at the ceiling as if the answer would be written there. "I hate her... I hated her... I almost killed her..." He squeezed his eyes shut. In his mind's eye he imagined Ravess leaning towards him. He could practically feel her lips on his and the feeling of her tongue slipping into his mouth...

His eyes opened again and he frowned. He should have pushed Ravess away, but instead he had wanted to do the opposite. It was something he couldn't control, and he didn't like not being able to control himself.

"I'm her prisoner," Harrier reminded himself. "Whatever she's doing to me is purely for her physical pleasure... She doesn't care for me at all..." But did he really know that for sure? After all on Terra Rex he was idolized by every female on the terra...

He shook his head. It didn't matter what she thought of him. She was the enemy! Or was she?

_"You're asking if you can trust an enemy?"_

_"No, I'm asking if I can trust you, Harrier." _

Squeezing his eyes shut once again, he let out a small groan of confusion. This was why he decided long ago that he hated emotions...

"Hey you, get up."

Startled, Harrier bolted upright as something prodded him. His vision was hazy, and he realized that he had dozed off. "Wha... What is it?" It took him a moment for his mind to get up to speed.

"Commander Ravess wants you in her quarters now." The Cyclonian crossed his arms and prodded him with his foot again.

He got to his feet and the Cyclonian escorted him to Ravess's chambers.

"I'm warning you, don't try anything funny, Sky Knight. Me and my buddies are standing right out here." The Cyclonian glared at him angrily. He opened the door and pushed Harrier inside before closing it behind him.

It took a moment for Harrier's eyes to adjust to the dimly lit room, which smelled of lavender. His eyes were immediately drawn to the queen sized bed which had red silken sheets on it. It wasn't the sheets that caught his attention however...

Ravess was lying on her side with her arm propping up her head. The other arm was curled casually around her stomach. She wore a small black silky nightgown which left Harrier with little doubt of what she looked like without it. It cut off at mid-thigh length and was trimmed with black lace.

His eyes followed the curves of her body before he glanced away, flushing. "Good evening, Miss Ravess."

"Hiding behind formalities again, Harrier?" Her golden eyes sparkled. "Come on, what are you afraid of, hmm?"

Harrier took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. "No...I'm not afraid of anything..." In reality, he was afraid to look at her, lest he lose control of himself.

"We won the battle you know," she commented offhandedly.

He supposed that he should be disappointed that the sky knights lost, but right now, he had other things on his mind. "Oh..."

"Why don't you have a seat?" Ravess patted the bed with her free hand.

"Um... I... Er... I'm ah, fine right here," he replied, swallowing nervously. He still didn't look directly at her.

"Oh? That's too bad." She sat up and arched her back before tilting her head to look at Harrier. "Are you sure?"

"Well... I... Y-y-yes..."

Ravess got out of the bed and stretched her arms while yawning. Harrier's eyes were drawn to the bottom of the nightgown as the motion lifted it up higher. She followed his gaze and smiled before dropping her arms to her side again. He flushed again.

"You look rather hot in that jumpsuit," she commented, drawing closer to him.

It was true, Harrier was feeling rather warm, but he was sure the jumpsuit wasn't the cause of it. "I... Um..."

She placed her hands on his shoulder and put her lips next to his ear. "I could always help you with that, you know..."

Harrier was about to reply when he felt her tongue trace around his ear. His breath caught in his throat and he felt like his heart was about to explode, it was beating so fast. He put his hands on her hips to push her away, but instead he found himself pulling her closer. She brought her head back and he kissed her fiercely. Instantly, she returned the kiss passionately. As his tongue slipped into her mouth, her hands made their way over to the zipper on the jumpsuit. As she did this, she took a step backwards, and he followed. Slowly they floated their way over to the bed.

Harrier pulled back from her. "I've... I've never..."

"Well then," Ravess whispered, pressing close to him and pulling down on the zipper. "I'll just have to teach you."


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

**A/N I'm really starting to love this pairing. :D Of course, I am the one who made it up, but still... The evil plot bunnies attacked me last night and I'm starting to plan another Ravess x Harrier fic for when this one is over... I may even start it sooner, depending on how much free time I have on my hands... Anyway, on to the fic! It's kind of a short chapter again, sorry...  
**

_"Isn't this against your Code?" Ravess breathed into his ear. _

_"Does it really matter?" Harrier's whispered reply hung in the darkness._

Ravess's even breathing told Harrier that she had fallen to sleep. Her soft skin rubbed against his bare chest as she shifted around and murmured in her sleep. He let out a contented sigh and pulled her closer to him.

_"Does it really matter?"_

Harrier could feel a hint of guilt. Of course it mattered. The Code and his honor were his life... But having sex with Ravess wasn't against the Code._ If it was, would I have been able to stop myself? It just felt so right... _He closed his eyes, trying to shunt the guilt away. He hadn't done anything wrong... Ravess... He felt something for her. He wasn't completely sure what it was, but he definitely felt something.

He could almost feel Ravess's warm breath on his face, almost feel her touch which somehow seemed to be everywhere at once. There was only one word he could find to describe what he had felt. Passion. It was something that he had never really felt before; not like that. It was something he couldn't control and it scared him. But there was something that scared him even more.

He loved it.

Frowning, he considered this before eventually dropping off to sleep.

* * *

_"You're an incredible woman, Ravess," Harrier whispered, his hand gently stroking her spine.  
_

_"Tell me something I don't know," she purred, staring into his fiery blue eyes._

Ravess opened her eyes slowly. The first thing she was aware of was Harrier's arms wrapped around her. His slow breathing told her that he was still sleeping. A smile came to her lips; control. That is what she sought and that is what she had. Manipulating him into sleeping with her had been for control, and nothing else.

Or at least, that was what she had told herself at the time... Her mind flashed back to his lightning blue eyes, alight with fiery passion. But there was something else there... Could it have possibly be caring? Could it be that Harrier actually cared for her? But how could that be possible? She shook her head. It didn't matter how it was possible. If it was true, she could just manipulate him further...

Ravess frowned; part of her didn't want to manipulate Harrier. That wasn't like her at all... Her eyes widened. She didn't have feelings for the honorbound fool, did she? No, of course not. That wouldn't be possible... Still, that didn't mean she couldn't get pleasure from playing around with him...

Wriggling in his arms, she turned toward him and nuzzled his neck.

"Mmm..." Harrier's eyes fluttered open. He looked confused for a moment before his mind woke up enough to remind him where he was. "Good morning..."

She smiled. "Morning." Craning her neck up, she kissed him on the cheek, but he didn't respond. Instead, he seemed to stare off into the distance, as if he were thinking. She frowned, annoyed.

"Tell me," he started, his voice distant sounding. "What are you going to do with me now?"

Ravess tipped her head to the side. "What do you mean by that?"

"I realized... I realized that I'm still your prisoner." He didn't look directly at her, instead staring past her to the wall.

"Well I thought that you could stay here," she replied, massaging his chest with her hands. "Didn't you find last night... enjoyable?"

Finally he did look at her, his lightning blue eyes staring into her eyes. "I did... But..."

"But?" she prompted, pushing closer to him. Their faces were only centimeters apart.

Their gazes remained locked for a few moments before Harrier turned his head away. "I'm not a fool, Ravess."

"Mmm?" Ravess nuzzled his neck, trying to get him to look at her again. "I don't recall calling you a fool..."

"You're only doing this for your own pleasure," he clarified. "I know that you care nothing about me... Other than my looks, that is."

She reached a hand back and ran her fingers through his ponytail. "And why would you say that?"

Harrier turned his head to look at her again, his lips nearly brushing hers. "I... I just think that-" He was cut off as she pressed her lips to his.

She pulled back for a moment. "No more thinking," she whispered before kissing him again.

"A-alright," Harrier breathed after she pulled away again. He blinked, as if clearing his head. "Does that mean... Does that mean you actually do care for me?"

Ravess blinked, and not really knowing the true answer, plunged her tounge into his mouth instead.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

Harrier ran his fingers through Ravess's soft hair as she pulled back from him. She tilted her head back and he traced his tongue from the hollow of her neck to her earlobe. He was surprised at the strength of his own passion. Back on Terra Rex, he had always felt that he was... above that sort of thing.

"That tickles," she commented before kissing him on the lips. Someone knocked on the door.

"Aren't... You... Going... to get... that?" Harrier asked in between kisses.

Sighing, Ravess pulled away from him. "I suppose I should..." Grabbing her black nightgown, she slipped it on before opening the door. "What is it?"

Harrier covered himself with the blanket, suddenly feeling self conscious. He listened in to the conversation being had at the door.

"Commander, we've been ordered to return to Cyclonia at once... Master Cyclonis wishes to speak with you and Commander Snipe."

Ravess nodded. "Alright, then fly to Cyclonia then! What are you waiting for?"

"Yes ma'am... We should be there in a few hours... Uh... Uh... Do you wish me to escort the prisoner back to his cell?"

"No. Return to your duties."

"Yes, ma'am."

Ravess closed the door, then turned towards Harrier, sighing. She opened her mouth to say something, but he cut her off.

"Cyclonia? You're taking me to Cyclonia?" His eyes were slightly wide and she could see a shadow of fear pass through his eyes. His last trip to Cyclonia was less than pleasant...

She blinked. "You'll be fine... You'll just stay on the ship. You won't even notice that you're there... I promise..."

Harrier nodded, consoled by her promise. "Alright..."

"Now, if you excuse me, I have to go get ready for my meeting with the Master... You just stay here and make yourself comfortable..."

"Alright..." His eyes followed Ravess as she turned on the light and then walked into a door. She closed it behind her, and he could hear water being turned on.

Harrier sighed and got his clothes before putting them on. "Cyclonia," he muttered to himself. "I would have thought that I would be going there in victory, not as a prisoner... If I were going to escape, now would be the time to do it..." He walked over to the exit and his hand rested on the doorknob. "If I escaped, I would never see Ravess again... Except in battle..." He knitted his brows together as a strange feeling came over him. Turning away from the door, he sat down on the side of the bed. "Could I really do that? Could I really fight her again?" He squeezed his eyes shut and muttered a line from the Code. "_Emotion should not rule your life..._" He rubbed his eyes with the palms of his hands. "_But you shouldn't ignore it completely..._" He scowled. "Damn it. The Code has always been so specific, but now that I need its guidance... Why must it speak in riddles now?"

He laid back on the bed and stared at the ceiling for a few minutes. "Emotions... I think I liked it better when I didn't have them... I don't even know how I feel! Do I... Do I love her? How can I? I've only known her for such a short time... But she's just so captivating..." He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. "Even if I do somehow love her... How does she feel back? What if I'm nothing but a plaything to her?" He sat up as he heard Ravess emerge from the shower. She came out wearing her usual Cyclonian uniform.

"You know, I was half expecting you to try to escape."

"You know... So was I."

Ravess laughed. "Well aren't you just full of surprises? Now, unfortunately I have duties to attend to... I trust you enough to let you stay here..." She walked over to him and kissed him on the cheek. "Don't try to escape, okay?"

Harrier just nodded. "Alright..."

* * *

A few hours later, Ravess and Snipe were both kneeling before Cyclonis. She had just finished chastising them for their failure to take Terra Rex.

"Snipe, you're dismissed. Ravess, you stay here."

"Yes Master," Snipe said, bowing before leaving.

Ravess glanced up at Cyclonis fearfully for a moment, waiting for her to say something.

"I hear you acquired a 'plaything' during your siege of Terra Rex."

She wasn't even surprised that she knew. Master Cyclonis knew everything... "Yes Master..."

"Kill him."

Ravess glanced up sharply. "What?"

"I said kill him," Cyclonis replied flatly. "Harrier of the Rex Guardians... His disappearance caused quite a stir... If we sent his head back in a box to them... Their morale would be shattered."

Ravess didn't know whose morale they were shattering but at the moment, she wasn't thinking straight. Kill Harrier? What would that help? She could do that... It would be easy... He trusted her, and even if he didn't... But no... How could she kill him? "Y-yes Master."

"Now, I suppose I'll let you have a few more days of fun with him... Yes... I'll give you that much... Three days. I want Harrier killed in three days."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

Three days... Ravess felt numb on the inside. She found it hard to concentrate on what Master Cyclonis was saying.

"Now, you need to make it gruesome," she was saying. "That'll really instill fear into them... Terra Rex will never defy Cyclonia again... Sky Knights will think twice before fighting the Talons!"

"Y-yes Master," Ravess replied sullenly. She instantly regretted the vibrato in her voice.

Cyclonis glanced at her sharply. "You... You don't have feelings for him do you?" Her eyes narrowed dangerously.

"No! Of course not!" she exclaimed.

"Good... Because if you did, there would have to be... Consequences." She tossed a crystal up in the air and caught it seemingly absentmindedly.

Ravess recognized the crystal immediately as an oblivion stone. "Of course. I-I understand, Master." She bowed her head and glanced away nervously. How could a fourteen year old girl be so sadistic?

"You'd better... Now leave."

Ravess stood up and bowed before backing out of the room. Closing the throne room door behind her, she leaned against the wall, suddenly feeling dizzy. She wasn't surprised to see Snipe standing there.

"Can I help you smush him?"

"No!" she practically screamed before turning and walking away toward their ship. Harrier... How could she kill Harrier? She blinked, confused. Then again, why was this upsetting her so much? He was just a bothersome Sky Knight, wasn't he? She could easily get someone else to play with... He didn't provide that much of a challenge anyways...

Besides, she had no choice. It was either kill him or die herself. It would be best to do it right away. Yes... As soon as possible...

Harrier was laying on the bed as she walked in. He smiled slightly upon seeing her. He didn't seem to notice the way her heands wer held behind her back as she approached him.

Ravess's heart thudded in her chest and the thrum of the energy blade she held seemed deafening. How could he not notice? Why didn't he make a move to stop her from what she was about to do? Because he didn't know... He trusted her... He didn't know that he was about to die...

Her eyes snapped up to meet his as he stood up and walked over to her. Cupping her face in his hands, he kissed her tenderly.

The thrumming in her ears increased, and finally Ravess couldn't take it anymore. She had to end it. Now. Harrier must have seen the energy blade coming out of the corner of his eye, because he jumped back instinctively. "Ravess? What are you doing?" He didn't look afraid, only a bit confused, as if this was just a new part of the game she played with him.

Ravess just stared at him a moment before raising the crimson blade. She could not trust herself to speak. She just needed to get this over with as soon as possible.

_"No... It's a game where everyone loses except Master Cyclonis," Harrier had said. "I supposed she's made some promises to you. How can you be so sure that she'll keep her word?"_

_Ravess had frowned at him, unhappy that he was challenging her logic. "Because if she didn't keep her word then her servants would turn against her."_

_"Unless they were too afraid."_

Ravess's hand quivered as she took a step through Harrier, that conversation running through her mind. She tried to shunt it out; she didn't need any second thoughs about this. She just had to kill him. It was either him, or her.

_"So that's why you serve her," Harrier remarked, seeing the fear in her eyes. It vanished so quickly though that he was left wondering if he really saw it at all. "You fear her."_

_"So what if I do?" Ravess snapped. "That doesn't matter! Your predicament doesn't change at all, does it?"_

_"No," he replied. "It doesn't..." He tipped his head to the side and regarded her with his blue eyes. "Ravess... If you were to leave the services of Cyclonis, you would be able to find safety in the Atmos. On Terra Rex even."_

"No," she whispered to herself, causing Harrier to tip his head to the side. If she left Cyclonia, she would be hunted down like a dog. Cyclonis wouldn't rest until she was dead. Dark Ace would probably hunt her down... No one would be able to protect her from the Dark Ace. And then there was Snipe... Would he try to hunt his sister down? No, she couldn't chance it...

Raising the blade high she moved closer to him.

Harrier just stood there, staring at her with those lightning blue eyes, his expression unreadable. Their eyes met as Ravess plunged the blade down.

_"...Does that mean you actually do care for me?"_

Ravess let out a shriek as she sank to her knees and sobbed. She had never really cried like this before; she had never allowed herself to show that much emotion. But now she just couldn't stop herself as so many emotions ripped through her.

Her Talons burst into the room at the sound of her distress. It was there they found their commander sobbing, an energy blade plunged into the floor at the Sky Knight's feet.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

"Who gave you permission to come in here?" Ravess snapped at the Cyclonians. "Get out! Now!"

The Cyclonians, sensing their commander's ire were quick to scurry out of the room. Harrier stared down at Ravess, not speaking for a few minutes. She didn't meet his gaze, instead staring at the energy blade plunged into the floor. Finally, when the buzzing of the blade seemed to loud to bear, he spoke.

"Ravess... You..." He looked away from her. "You were about to kill me..."

"N... No," she replied. "I... I..." She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up at him. "I wasn't..."

"Most people don't swing energy blades at people unless they're going to kill..." Harrier stared down at her again, his piercing gaze seeming to stab through her. "I... I guess I was wrong about you Ravess."

Ravess looked up at him, forcing herself to meet his gaze. She never let anyone see her weaknesses before, and she couldn't start now. "No... I... I didn't kill you, now did I?"

"No..." He knelt down and pulled the energy blade from the floor, causing her to flinch. "But you were going to try, weren't you?"

"I... Master Cyclonis..." Her eyes narrowed as she formulated her thoughts. "Master Cyclonis ordered me to kill you within three days... Or else. But..."

"But?" he prompted.

"I can't do it... I could never kill you... I... I..." She trailed off and looked away, unable to meet his gaze any longer.

Harrier glanced away as well. "What will happen if you don't kill me?"

She winced. "Well, I'll be _lucky_ if she uses the oblivion stone on me..."

"No..."

"...No?" Before Ravess had time to react, Harrier wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to him. Her eyes widened as she realized the energy blade was held near her throat. "H-Harrier?"

He didn't reply, instead standing up, bringing her to her feet. He dragged her with him as he made his way over to the door and kicked it open. The Cyclonians sprung up as he emerged from the door. "Make a move, and I'll slit your commander's throat."

Ravess shivered at the chill in his voice. She stared down at the energy blade nervously and then back at the Talons. Her mind reeled at the situation she was in. Had she misjudged Harrier? She watched as the Talons placed their weapons down and stepped out of Harrier's way.

"Ironic, isn't it?" Ravess commented as he dragged her toward the skimmer bay. "We've switched places it seems."

He glanced down at her, amused. "You continue to misjudge me, Ravess." Glancing around to make sure it was clear, he thumbed the energy blade off.

She blinked. "What... What are you doing?" She tilted her head to the side as she began putting it together.

"I'm not letting you get killed, Ravess," Harrier said. "You're coming with me... I'll protect you from Cyclonis..."

She froze and stared at him. "You... You're asking me to betray my terra?"

He hesitated and then nodded. "It's either that or you'll be killed..."

"Would you betray Terra Rex?"

"No, but..."

"But..."

Harrier stared at her for a moment. "Terra Rex isn't evil... Cyclonia is... There's no honor in darkness, Ravess."

"Let me guess, that's a line from your code?" Ravess asked.

"Perhaps it is, but either way, it's true... Now please, come with me... By not killing me, you've disobeyed Cyclonis anyways..."

She stared at him, undecided. "Cyclonia is my home... I can't just.. Can't just... Why are you so intent on getting me to betray my country?"

"Because," he began slowly, as if weighing what he was about to say. "It is written in the Code that a Sky Knight mut protect the ones he loves."

Her golden eyes widened slightly. "Harrier... You..."

He stared at her, as if waiting for her to say something back, but she didn't instead just staring at him. He glanced away uncomfortably. "Well... It's your choice, Ravess. Either come with me, or..." He handed her the blade. "Or follow orders. It's your choice..."

Ravess stared down at the blade in her hand and then back at Harrier. "She'll send Dark Ace after us, you know."

Harrier nodded gravely. "I know... But... We must do what is right no matter what the consequences."

"But is this really right?"

"I guess we'll find out soon enough..."

**a/n Yeah, not my best chapter but I've not had the best week... Next chapter will be better, I promise.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

Ravess handed the blade back to Harrier. "Come on, the hangar bay is up ahead..."

They entered the large bay, which was empty of people. Skimmers were lined up in neat lines, with Snipe's heliblade and Ravess's Switchblade Elite in their own area.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked, staring at her.

Ravess hesitated before nodding. "Let's go."

"I'm disappointed in you, Ravess," spoke an ice cold voice that sent shivers up her spine. "I was hoping that Master Cyclonis was wrong... But she never is, is she?"

Harrier whipped around and activated the small red energy blade. "Dark Ace..."

Ravess's eyes widened and she took a step backwards. "What are you doing here?"

Dark Ace stepped from the shadows, his crimson eyes narrowed. "Master Cyclonis isn't a fool. She figured something like this would happen. I was sent here to keep an eye on you... It's a shame, really. You were a pretty decent commander... But now, you must die." His long red blade activated, casting eerie shadows across his face. He took a step towards Ravess and raised the blade with both his hands. He took another step towards her, only to be intercepted by Harrier.

"Get out of here, Ravess," he commanded. "I'll hold him off."

"Are you crazy?" Ravess asked. "You don't stand a chance against the Dark Ace!"

"Perhaps not," the Sky Knight conceded. "But perhaps one of us will survive."

Dark Ace laughed. "Neither of you shall live. I'll cut you down before she'll even reach a skimmer!" He swept his blade down toward Harrier, who raised his small blade to block the blow. He was knocked back a few inches by the

"Just get out of here, now!" He forced himself to sound confident and strong. The memory of his last duel with the Dark Ace flashed through his mind. How long had it lasted? Not more than fifteen seconds. And he had been properly equipped then. He glanced down at his dagger sized blade and took a steadying breath. Now was no times for doubt. He had to act. If he didn't, they'd both be dead.

Dark Ace charged at him, his expression almost bored looking. Harrier managed to sidestep a thrust and clumsily blocked a series of quick jabs. He took a few steps backwards as he quickly lost ground to the Dark Ace, constantly being on the defensive. In a desperate move, the Sky Knight sent a kick towards the Dark Ace's chest.

The Dark Ace caught his foot in his free hand and threw Harrier backwards into a supply shelf. "Getting desperate, aren't we, Sky Knight? Aren't cheap shots like that against your code?"

Harrier shook his head, trying to clear it. At the moment, he couldn't focus enough to think about what was or wasn't against the code. There was only one thing on his mind: Buying time.

Smirking, the Dark Ace charged toward him. His hand groped for something; anything he could throw to stop or at least slow the dark man down. Finding a wrench, he threw it, causing his adversary to slow for a moment to cleave it in half. Reaching his hand into a crate, Harrier withdrew a handful of fuel crystals and threw them at the Dark Ace.

Snorting, Dark Ace simply raised his blade to block them, which ended up being a mistake. As they made contact with the crimson blade, they exploded with a flash, sending sparks at him. He let out a cry of pain and covered his eyes with his hands, squatting to the floor as the sparks burned him.

Harrier immediately got to his feet and sprinted toward one of the skimmers. He climbed on to one and was about to start it up when suddenly the only thing he coul feel was pain. He fell to the ground as what felt like lightning arced through his back. He let out a cry of pain as the burning sensation in his back intensified. He fell to the floor, struggling to remain conscious. He knew that if he couldn't fight back, he was dead.

The Dark Ace came to stand over him, his crimson eyes alight with cold fury. Burn marks trailed their way down his face, only accomplishing to make him look more menacing. Their eyes met for a moment and a silent message was passed; Harrier was going to die.

As Dark Ace raised his blood blade, Harrier spoke. "You were wrong... She's safe."

"She won't be safe for long, Sky Knight. I give you my word."

He managed a wry smile. "But your word really can't be trusted, can it?"

Scowling, Dark Ace let his blade fall toward him.

Harrier didn't flinch and instead fixed him with a defiant gaze as the blade flew towards his chest. He blinked as the Dark Ace let out a cry of frustration.Turning his head, the Sky Knight saw the crimson blade furrowed into the ground. The hydraulic device the Cyclonian Commander wore on his left arm had been pinned to the skimmer by an arrow.

Before he could use his right hand to pull out the arrow, Harrier dove at him, grabbing his right arm and pinning it down. He winced as the Dark Ace kicked at him, but continued to pin him down.

"Get off me!" Dark Ace shouted. He frantically pulled at his left arm, trying to get it free.

Harrier looked up to see Ravess standing a ways off, her bow raised. "Ravess!" He didn't know whether to feel relieved or worried that she was still here.

Dark Ace turned his head to look at her. "Ravess... I'll give you one more chance... Finish off this meddlesome Sky Knight, and I won't report this to Master Cyclonis..."

Harrier just tipped his head to the side and regarded her with his blue eyes. She stared back at him and then at the Dark Ace. Nodding, she let another arrow fly. This one caught right between the space between his armor and right shoulder, pinning him further to the skimmer.

The Sky Knight smiled. "Great, now finish him off! We can rid the Atmos of this fiend forever!"

Ravess notched an arrow and raised her bow. The Dark Ace glowered at her, his crimson eyes boring into her. She pulled back on her string, her eyes never breaking away from his gaze. Suddenly flinching, she lowered her bow. "No... I... I can't..."

Harrier reached for the Dark Ace's energy blade. "Fine, then I will."

"Harrier, no!" She cried. "He... He's still my comrade... I... I can't let you kill him."

"What are you talking about?" he demanded. "I have to kill him! It's my duty as a Sky Knight to rid the Atmost of this evil!"

"You can't! I can't betray Cyclonia like this... I... I... Please..."

Harrier paused and stared at her, uncertain. "Ravess..."

Suddenly, Dark Ace tore his arm free and snatched his energy blade, slashing it at Harrier, who let out a cry of pain as the blade bit into his flesh, before collapsing.

Ravess let out a startled scream. "Harrier! No!"

Dark Ace stood up and advanced towards Ravess without giving the fallen Sky Knight a second glance. "You're coming with me, Ravess... Master Cyclonis wants to have a word with you..."


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

Pain. Burning, excruciating pain. Harrier opened his eyes slowly, trying to block out the pain in his left side. Shaking his head, his eyes snapped into focus. Ravess. She was in trouble. He had to help her. He let out an involuntary groan as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Glancing down, he grimaced at the amount of blood pouring from his side.

Dark Ace's eyes snapped towards him. "Still alive, Sky Knight?" He turned towards him, his crimson blade blazing. "Well, I'll just have to remedy that."

"No..." Harrier got to his feet, only to fall to his knees. He glared up at the Dark Ace even as his vision began blurring. His gaze fixed on the bright red blade as it was raised above his head.

"Goodbye, Sky Knight."

Harrier squeezed his eyes shut, waiting for his demise. But it never came. Instead, he heard a thud and then a clattering sound. Opening his eyes, he saw Ravess standing a few feet away from him, her bow held with two hands. His gaze was drawn downwards to the Dark Ace's unconscious form.

"Ravess..." He stared up at Ravess for a moment before his vision faded away.

Ravess rushed to Harrier's side as he fell into unconsciousness. She rested her hand on his neck and breathed a sigh of relief as she felt a pulse. Her eyes darted to the Dark Ace for a moment. Shaking her head, she forced her guilt away. Right now, she had to get Harrier away from here.

Kneeling down, she wrapped one on his arms around her shoulder before standing up. She staggered under his dead weight, but was able to slowly make her way to her skimmer. She managed to push Harrier onto her skimmer. Getting on behind him, she glanced back at the Dark Ace. Knocking him out... She had just turned her back on Cyclonia forever. A bitter taste was gathering at the back of her throat. Master Cyclonis would hunt her down for sure. Her and Harrier. It was likely that they would both die...

Glancing down at Harrier, she realized that he may die just from his wound, even before Cyclonis sent someone after them. She would have to get the sky knight somewhere safe soon. Leaning over him, she took the handlebars in her hands and roared out of the hanger. She noticed that her skimmer was reacting a bit more sluggishly than usual, due to the extra weight. If anyone were to attack her now, she would be done for...

Glancing back at her airship, she jetted forward, not sure in what direction to head. Harrier needed medical attention, but where could she go? Terra Rex? That would work out well, flying in to a terra with their injured sky knight... But then again, what choice did she have? It was either chance going to Terra Rex, or to let Harrier die. Shaking her head, she decided that it wasn't a choice at all and turned her skimmer in the direction of Terra Rex.

* * *

It had been a few hours, and Ravess was beginning to get worried. Harrier had shown no signs of awakening, and the side of her skimmer was stained with his blood. It was a miracle that he was still breathing. Glancing up, she was relieved to see Terra Rex in the distance. Relieved, but at the same time worried. What would happen to her? Would they lock her up? Shaking her head, she decided not to worry about it just yet. Harrier was her first priority.

Her heart skipped a beat she she saw a squadron flying her way. She instinctively reached for her bow, but forced herself to stop. She would have to convince these people that she wasn't their enemy. Probably impossible, considering she had just lead an invasion of their terra...

"Cyclonian! How dare you come here!" The Rex Guardians circled around Ravess, who glanced around at them nervously. One of the Rex Guardians had his blade drawn and was glaring at her.

"Harrier!" The girl- whose name Ravess dimly remembered as Elizabeth- stared at Harrier, her eyes wide. "What did you do to him?"

"I didn't do anything to him," Ravess replied, trying to keep her voice calm. "I'm... I'm not your enemy." Her words sounded strange to her, and she resisted the urge to frown.

"A likely story!" The bearded Guardian glared at her and raised his blade. "You're the one who lead the invasion force! I remember you clearly, considering you shot me down..." His eyes narrowed. "You will come with us, Cyclonian. You are now our prisoner."

She scowled, but glanced down at Harrier. "Of course... Just... Just get someone to tend to his wounds."

"As if you really care about Harrier," he hissed. "We're not going to be fooled by Cyclonians again... Land, now, and we'll take care of you."

Sighing, Ravess did as she was ordered, the Rex Guardians keeping in their circle formation around her. She dimly heard one of them requesting some guards to escort 'the Cyclonian Scum' to the prison. She landed smoothly, as did the Rex Guardians. Closing her eyes, she wrapped her arms around Harrier, hoping that he would wake up and explain everything. A few moments later, she was torn away by one of the guards.

"Lock her away," the Rex Guardian ordered. "And arrange a trial. She needs one before she is executed."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

It was rather ironic, Ravess decided. Laying back, she stared up at the cold gray ceiling of her cell. A short while ago, hadn't it been Harrier in the cell? And now, it was her. Great. And why? Because she felt something for him? Why? Why had this happened?

She sighed. If someone ever figured out how feelings worked, they would be a very rich person...

"Dinner."

Ravess looked up as a guard dropped a tray of food in front of her. She watched as the porridge in the bowl sloshed over the sides onto the tray. The guard turned to leave, but she grabbed his arm. "Will Harrier be alright?"

The guard tore his arm away from her and walked away, muttering to himself. Ravess distinctly heard the words 'Cyclonian bitch,' as the guard locked up her cell and disappeared down the hallway. Sighing, she picked up her spoon and swirled it around in the porridge for a moment before shoving it away. She wasn't hungry.

Hugging her knees to her chest, Ravess stared dully down at the gray floor. Was she going to die? Surprisingly, the question didn't terrify her as much as she would have thought it would. Instead of feeling panicked she just felt cold, and empty. It was strange how one person could have changed so much. If she hadn't captured Harrier...

Harrier... The pretentious Sky Knight... How had things come to this? Why had she been attracted to her enemy?

If there was a god in the Atmos, he must have a sick sense of humor.

Ravess let her eyes close. She wondered about her trial. Would it be fair? Were they just going to find her guilty no matter what?

Did she even deserve to be found innocent?

She had invaded Terra Rex and captured their sky knight. Just because she happened to return with him again... It wasn't enough to save herself, was it?

Her face paled as she realized that if Harrier died, it would be her fault. If she had just let him kill Dark Ace... If she had never captured him...

Perhaps she deserved a guilty sentence after all.

* * *

Harrier opened his eyes slowly and groaned as his head began pounding. Where was he? How did he get here? Memories came rushing back to him all at once. The crimson blade biting into his flesh... Ravess standing over the Dark Ace, bow in hand... Pain, the burning pain...

As his mind focused, he realized that the pain wasn't just a memory. His side throbbed painfully and consistently. He felt weak, and he wondered just how much blood he had lost. "Ravess..." She was alright, wasn't she?

"Don't worry, Harrier. She can't hurt you anymore."

The sky knight tipped his head to see a familiar set of green eyes staring at him. "Elizabeth... Where are we?"

"Home," she answered with a warm smile. "We rescued you from that vile Cyclonian."

"Rescued..." He blinked then frowned. "No, you didn't need to rescue me... Ravess-"

Elizabeth scowled at the name. "Why are you on a first name basis with that Cyclonian bitch?"

"Don't call her that," Harrier replied sternly. "You have to understand... I... I..." He hesitated for a moment. How would his squadron mate react if she knew his feelings? Were his feelings against the Code? He didn't even know.

"You what?" she asked, eyes narrowing just a hair as she tipped her head to the side.

"I care about her," he admitted. "I might even..." he trailed off at the concerned look on her face.

"What did she do to you, Harrier? Did she brainwash you?"

"No! I'm of perfectly sound mind!" Harrier protested.

"She's the enemy!" Elizabeth protested.

"No, she's not! She's... She's different!"

"She lead the invasion of Terra Rex! She took you prisoner! How can you say she's not your enemy?" She scowled.

"Forgiveness is man's greatest gift," Harrier quoted. "The Code clearly teaches us to forgive others!"

"Only if they deserve to be forgiven!"

He just stared at her for a few moments, not knowing what to say.

Elizabeth sighed deeply. "Why? Why do you have feelings for_ that_ woman?"

"If I had an answer for that question, I suspect my life would be a whole lot easier."

She crossed her arms and sat back in her chair that was by his bedside. after a few moments of silence, she said, "Those scars are never going to heal you know."

"Scars?" Harrier lifted up his blanket to see the three wounds he had received during the battle of Terra Rex. His side had been bandaged tightly and he could see a crystal tucked under the bandages to help speed up recovery. "Scars don't bother me..." There was another few moments of silence before he spoke. "Where is Ravess?"

She scowled, and for a moment he thought that she wasn't going to answer. "In the dungeons... She's going to be executed."

"She has to have a trial first," he protested.

"Of course she will," Elizabeth snapped. "But do you honestly believe she'll be found innocent? You know that by the Code she should be found guilty."

"Then maybe... Maybe the Code is wrong!"

She gaped at him, as if not believing what she just heard. "What... What did you say?"

Harrier glanced away from her, not able to meet her gaze. Did he really just say that the Code was wrong? How could he have done that? He spent his entire life living by and defending the Code... "I said... Maybe the Code is wrong. It tells me to protect the ones I love, but the one I love will be executed because of it!"

"You... You love her?"

"I do." His eyes narrowed in determined resolve.

"It's not the Code that's wrong Harrier." Her eyes narrowed into slits. "It's you!"

* * *

Ravess opened her eyes as the cell door opened and a man walked into her cell. She wrinkled her nose at the strong scent of alcohol that radiated off from him. He swaggered towards her, and she scowled. "What do you want?"

"You know, it's a shame you're gonna be executed," the man said, squatting down in front of her. He took her chin between his thumb and forefinger and looked her straight in the face. "You're a real pretty woman."

She squirmed away from him. "Get away."

"You know, I don't think I will," he replied. He weaseled his way closer to her and grabbed her wrists, pinning her to the wall. She almost gagged as his warm alcohol ridden breath hit her in the face.

Ravess decided to try a different tact. "Isn't this against your Code?"

"I'm no sky knight," he replied with a grin. "Now, why don't we have some fun before you're killed." He leaned towards her and gave her a sloppy kiss on the lips.

She pulled her head back away from him, hitting it against the wall. "Get away!" She snapped her foot up into his chest and sent him skittering a few feet away. He shouted, causing three guards to run over to see what the commotion was.

"She attacked me!" the man shouted, staggering as he stood up.

"He tried to-"

The captain of the guard cut her off. "Assaulting a guard? It's obvious that it's not safe to keep you our prisoner. We were going to hold off the trial until Harrier was well enough to testify against you, but we'll have to make it as soon as possible. Your trial will be tonight. And tomorrow... Well, tomorrow you'll hang."

**A/N There's a poll on my profile that anyone who reads this story should vote on...**


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

Ravess stared up at the judge, who was sitting on a bench so high that it made her feel small and insignificant. The judge looked down his nose at her, his expression cold, almost callous. He was an old man and he wrinkled hand rested on a large leather bound copy of the Code.

She found herself shaking slightly and glanced away from the bench and stared instead down at the handcuffs binding her wrists together. She could feel the crowd gathering behind her and could hear the murmur of conversation. She only caught a few words like 'Cyclonian scum' and even more unflattering things.

The judge slammed his gavel, causing the sound to echo through the silent court room. "We are here today for the trial of Ravess of Cyclonia. The Code states that justice is to be served upon everyone. Today will be no exception. Justice will be served."

Ravess forced herself to stop shaking and met the judge's glare evenly. She would not show weakness here. If she was to die, she would do so with honor... Strange, she thought. That sounded like something that Harrier would have said... In fact, he probably did say it some time during his captivity on her ship. It was hard to keep an impassive face as the onlookers jeered and hissed at her.

This wasn't a trial. It was a sham, a spectacle put on for the masses. She wondered how long this facade would last. How long it would take for them to give her the death sentence.

* * *

They didn't speak. Instead, Harrier found himself staring past his angry squadron mate and at the door to the room. A squire walked in and knelt next to Elizabeth for a moment, whispering something into her ear. He distinctly heard the word Cyclonian and the word trial. She smiled slightly and nodded before standing. "I have to go attend to some pressing buisness, Harrier. I'll be back in a bit."

Harrier pushed himself up into a sitting position. "Wait, I'm coming with you."

"You're in no shape to be walking around," she chided. "Stay here."

"You can't make me," he reminded her. "I'm your sky knight."

"I know I can't," she replied. She turned to go. "But_ he_ can." And without another word, she strode away from his bedside. In an instant, she was replaced by a very irate looking doctor, who pushed Harrier back down.

"I spent hours making sure you survived. You're not about to go running around and ripping up your side again." He crossed his arms and glared down at Harrier.

"I need to go," he argued. "You can't stop me."

"Oh really now?" He sat on the edge of his bed. "Now, I don't like doing this to you, Harrier, but it's for your own good." Reaching into his pocket he retrieved a small rose colored crystal. It glowed with a soft pink light as the doctor eyed it for a moment.

The sky knight recognized it instantly and pushed himself into a sitting position again. "No, I really must protest! I need to-" He trailed off as the pink light fell onto his face. He stared into the crystal, transfixed, for a few moments before his eyes shut and he dropped into a deep sleep.

The doctor watched him a moment before placing the crystal down on the bedside table. "It really was for the best..."

* * *

It didn't last long. Each of the Rex Guardians gave their testimony against her, including the blond-haired girl who fixed her with an icy glare as she testified against Ravess.

Within an hour, she was declared guilty of all sorts of war crimes.

She wasn't allowed to testify for her own behalf. But then again, if she was, what could she even say? That she didn't capture Harrier? That was a lie, and one that no one would believe. Would they have believed that saving Harrier from Dark Ace would be enough to count as a redemption?

Probably not, considering how many times they had quoted the Code during the trial. These people were as strict as Harrier. Perhaps even more so.

Ravess half expected Harrier to burst through the door and save the day, but she didn't know just hoe injured he was. She didn't know if he was even alive. She glanced up at the judge as he finished the long speech he had been given.

"... And so Ravess of Cyclonia shall be hung at dawn."

The room filled with cheers, and Ravess just felt cold on the inside. As she was dragged away back to her cell she was dimly aware of the faces jeering and sneering at her. It would be a well attended event, she decided. It was strange how those who prided themselves with having honor would all gather to see someone killed.

"See you on execution day," the guard sneered, throwing her into her cell.

She didn't reply, simply staring at the dark ceiling above her.

* * *

Harrier's eyes flew open as he realized that he had fallen to sleep. He cursed the doctor as he pushed himself up into a sitting position and glared around the room for any sign of the man. But the hospital was silent, and all was dark; it was the dead of night, it seemed. His eyes were drawn to the pink crystal. Picking it up, he glared down at it.

"Ravess..." Her trial... How could he have missed it? The one chance he had of saving her, gone because of that meddling doctor... He swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood shakily. He spotted one of his uniform shirts laying nearby and pulled it on. He slipped the pink crystal into his pocket. He needed to find out what happened to Ravess... Perhaps they gave her a light sentence?

Glancing around the hospital to make sure no one was watching, he began to walk away, his legs shaking slightly. The more steps he took the stronger his strides became however and he quickly made his way towards the dungeons, making sure to stay out of sight. He was unsure of why he felt the need to be so secretive, but decided to stick with it. He ducked around the corner sa he heard voices coming close to him.

"Heard that Cyclonian's getting hanged."

"Yep, at dawn. Bet there'll be a big crowd."

"If I wasn't stuck on night duty, I'd go see. I might stay up if I'm not too tired."

"Me too. That scum is getting what she deserves."

Harrier slid down into a sitting position and stared blankly at the wall as they passed by a distance away. So that was it then. Ravess was going to die. His head spun for a few moments at that thought as he tried to take it all in. No, Ravess couldn't die... His side was supposed to be the righteous one, so how could this be happening? He had to stop it. He just had too, but how?

Could he try to talk to the judges? Impossible. They were strict followers of the Code. If they had found her guilty, then they would see no reason to reconsider.

The Code. It was infuriating. The thing he lived his life by was the thing taking the life of someone he cared about. Someone he... Did he love her? That was something he questioned. He had told Elizabeth that he did, but he really wasn't sure. Everything had happened so fast... His feelings were so jumbled. He shook his head, deciding that he could worry about that later.

_You must do everything in your power to protect the ones you love._

That was what the Code told him, but how would it be possible to save her? Wouldn't saving her require him to break the Code? He would have to break her out of prison...

_Prisoners are to stay in prison until their punishment is fulfilled._

So it was definitely against the Code then. But then again, if he loved her, wouldn't not breaking her out of prison be breaking the Code as well. Standing up. he made a decision. The Code made absolutely no sense. His mind flickered back to a moment on Ravess's airship.

_Ravess rolled her eyes. "Tell me, Sky Knight. Do you really live your life only by your pathetic Code? Haven't you ever wanted to do something... Wrong?" She leaned towards the bars of his cell and smiled at him._

_"The Code is my life," Harrier had replied. "The day I break the Code is the day I lose my honor, and the day I die."_

Honor. That's what the Code was about, wasn't it? His honor? His honor was his life.

_"Why do you insist on clinging to your pathetic honor?"_

_"Because, it's something that you don't have! It's what makes me different from you! And it's something you'll never understand!"_

It was true, Ravess could probably never understand why his honor was so important to him, but at the moment, he didn't either.

_You must do everything in your power to protect the ones you love. _He began making his way to the dungeons again. He had to. He had to save her. He would do everything in his power to save Ravess.

It took a few minutes to reach the dungeons; the guards weren't very attentive, making it easy to sneak past them. Who would try to break _in_ to the dungeons, after all? It would be easy to break Ravess out... He hesitated as another memory ran through his mind.

_ "You... You're asking me to betray my terra?" Ravess had asked.  
_

_He hesitated and then nodded. "It's either that or you'll be killed..."_

_"Would you betray Terra Rex?"_

Harrier frowned. The answer had been no, but now... Now wasn't that exactly what he was doing? His resolve cracked as he stood at the door, his hand on the handle. Ravess... the Code... Terra Rex... Nothing made sense any more. He squeezed his eyes shut, thinking. His eyes snapped open after a few moments. No more thinking. He would just have to trust his feelings... If he could figure out what those were.

He pushed the door open and stealthily made his way through the cells, glancing at them to see if Ravess was in one of them. He ducked down a side hallway as he saw a guard coming. He had seen him though.

"Harrier? I thought you were injured?"

Harrier flinched slightly before he turned to face the guard. "I was, but I've gotten permission to leave the hospital. I came here to... uh... inquire about the Cyclonian who brought me here."

"Well, you'll be glad to hear that she's being executed. Gettin' what she deserves, I think. I think that it will be a full house, so if you wanna see, you're gonna have to get there early." The guard smiled.

"I'll keep that in mind," the sky knight replied, his hand going into his pocket.

The guard regarded him curiously. "What are you doing?"

"This." He retrieved the stone and held it up to the guard's face. In a few moments, he was out like a light.

Harrier stared down at the man, feeling a bit guilty. He reached down and took the guard's keys. This was it, he couldn't turn back now.

He made his way through the corridors until he spotted her. Ravess was curled up in a tight ball and it took him a few moments to realize that she wasn't sleeping. Instantly, he slipped the key into the lock and swung the door open. He rushed toward her and put a hand on her shoulder. She flinched slightly, but turned her golden eyes toward him. They were dull and lifeless, but in an instant recognition filled them.

"Harrier! You're alive!"

Harrier wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close to him in answer. She melted into his arms and tilted her head up. His lips met hers and for a moment, his inner turmoil all vanished.

"So you got the verdict overturned, right?"

He glanced down at her, swallowing nervously. "No... I'm... I'm getting you out of here, Ravess before... Before it's too late."

She stared up at him, her eyes wide. "You mean... You're... You're going to break the Code."

"You must do everything in your power to protect the ones you love. That's what's written in the Code, Ravess... If I _didn't_ save you, I would be breaking the Code."

"Will they come after us?"

Harrier glanced away from her from a moment before replying. "Probably."

"You can't, Harrier. You'll be labeled a traitor! Both Cyclonia and the Sky Knights will come after us... At least one of us could survive if you let me die!" She stared into his eyes. Hers were tearing up a little. "You can't lose your honor, not like this."

"There are more important things than honor, Ravess," he replied slowly, trying to keep his thoughts straight.

"I can't let you risk yourself like this... I... I love you. I'm sure of it. I won't let you take me from here. I won't let you betray Terra Rex like this."

Harrier stared down at her. He had a decision to make.

* * *

Ravess's eyes flickered open slowly. What had happened? All she remembered was a pink flash of light... She flinched as felt the ground sway beneath her. Wait... That wasn't the ground. Her vision came in sharply and she looked down to see that she was on a skimmer. She stared up at Harrier for a few moments, and he stared back.

"They'll be after us soon." It wasn't a question.

Harrier nodded. "I know." He didn't say anything else.

"Will you fight them?"

"If I have to." He glanced behind him as if to make sure he wasn't being pursued yet.

"You're a fool, you know that?" Ravess said softly, leaning back into him.

He smiled and rested his chin on her shoulder. "I know." He kissed her on the cheek. "But it's worth it."

Turning her head, Ravess pressed her lips to Harrier's. She pulled back after a few moments. "Yeah, I guess it is."

She stayed silent for a few more moments. "It's dark out here."

Harrier shrugged. "The dawn will come soon enough."

They were silent as the skimmer flew away from Terra Rex, disappearing into darkness.

_There's no honor in darkness. _Harrier just hoped that that wasn't true. He met Ravess's gaze a moment. But if it was, would it really matter?

**The End**

**A/N Yep... Hope you enjoyed reading this. I loved writing it... I kind of left it open for a sequel, but I don't know if I should write one or not. -shrugs- Well, review, I guess. :D  
**


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